fefu and her friends in rehearsal…

“That is, I feel, the concern of the educator – to teach how to be sensitive to the differences in ourselves as well as outside ourselves, not to supervise the memorization of facts. Otherwise the unusual in us will perish.” –Cecilia, Part III

In some strange, seemingly superficial way, I am the educator on Fefu and Her Friends: as the dramaturg, I am a keeper and distributor of knowledge, well read in the history and theory of the world of the play and ready to help it make a difference in the show. Dramaturging a play like Fefu could easily turn into a Mad Men-style historical lovefest, though. With the play’s 1930s setting, I could have spent my time nitpicking with the designers over the appropriate draping of a gown as depicted in fashion magazines of the period, or the etiquette of table settings as dictated by advice goddess Emily Post. I would have geeked out on a daily basis, and driven everyone else on the staff absolutely insane (if I didn’t go insane first). Thankfully for everyone’s sanity, my job has been focused on an entirely different kind of onstage detail.

A dramaturg can be more than just a historian. The job does not have to end with the arrival of neatly-presented contextual research into the inboxes of the actors just after the first read-through, and does not have to carry on towards eventual staff madness. In fact, a significant portion of the work I have done has been in one-on-one sessions with William, our director, and inside the rehearsal room: I have become an ear and an extra pair of eyes as William and the actresses clarify, work, and rework their understanding of the play. I make observations and suggestions, I engage the text with William, I listen to him as he works through his own thoughts. Occasionally I show up at a rehearsal, where I help sharpen moments to make a scene stronger, or influence a line reading to take a scene in a new direction. I’m attentive to more than just the visual world of the play, more than just the historical world of the play: I am aware of the play’s emotional and dramatic worlds as well.

During our conversations, William and I have discussed the play as an exploration of the tension between identity and community. How do we become members of a group, and what is expected of us? Most importantly, what happens when what we need or who we are becomes a stumbling block for the rest of the community? The job of a director is to guide his or her actors in the creation and navigation of the relationships which emerge out of these questions, but often in the day-to-day of rehearsal all that meaningfulness can be obscured: it becomes all to easy to forget what the play is about. It may then be the dramaturg’s job to help recenter these relationships, to keep them grounded firmly within the dramatic questions the text poses. Sometimes it takes those extra pairs of eyes and that attention to textual and visual detail to remind a rehearsal room that the connection between one character’s fragility and one character’s insecurity and another’s emotional pain is, in fact, the story we’re telling. It’s the dramaturg’s job to help draw out what is ‘unusual,’ what is so wonderful and so easy to lose about the play. Heaven forbid the unusual in us should perish.

Nick Currie, Dramaturg

come see fefu and her friends!

FEFU AND HER FRIENDS confronts the gap between community and communication.  It is 1935, and eight society women have gathered at the home of their eccentric leader Fefu to rehearse a theatrical presentation, only to discover that they know themselves no better than their scripts.   In the absence of men, the rigid social order of the 1930s falls away, but the bonds of sisterhood are no substitute.  The inclusion of Julia (Annie Considine, BA ’11), wheelchair-bound and mentally ill, challenges the women to put aside frivolity and face their own internal damages.

Repression and misunderstandings bar the way for empathy in FEFU, where personal strengths lie buried under societal barriers.   “These characters are interested in not who they are, but who they are supposed to be,” says Glick, and his production emphasizes the contrast sharply.   The set design of Sasha Geffen (BA ’11), limited to only the use of acting cubes and theater curtains, obscures the sharp angles of these basic black cubes with soft, pastel fabrics, hinting at the complicated emotions that prevent unity.  Even blunt Fefu (Jane Makin, BA ’13), playing a deadly game of chance with her husband, who has the strength to ignore convention, lacks the compassion to inspire her friends as well.

Fefu and Her Friends is Written by Maria Irene Fornes and Directed by William Glick (BA ‘11).

Performances Run November 18th-21st at 8pm in the FXK Third Floor Theater.

For More Information, E-mail: William Bishop, Publicity Manager: william.f.bishop@gmail.com

check out photos from the shape of things!

the shape of things in rehearsal…

Read about Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things through the eyes of Assistant Director/Dramaturg, Comfort Clinton:

“Oh! if I only could go back to my flower basket! I should be independent of…you…and all the world! Why did you take my independence from me? Why did I give it up?” This line, spoken by Eliza Doolittle in George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play Pygmalion, later adapted into the iconic musical theatre piece My Fair Lady, is undeniably applicable to the content of The Shape of Things, Neil Labute’s 2001 drama currently being tackled by the directing talents of Toby Tieger ‘10. The piece centers on two young college students just beginning their relationship, along with with their two friends planning for a wedding. The arch of the play is built on the transformation experienced by all four characters, as they change both physically and emotionally, exploring the inherent struggle between right and wrong and learn that the interaction between these two is merely what makes us, well, human.

One way in which we have been exploring this seemingly hypocritical type of existence in our production of Labute’s work is by emphasizing the show’s clear references to the story of Genesis. Labute alludes to this tale in ways that range from embedded subtlety, to hit-you-over-the head symbolism – even going so far as to name his title characters Adam and Evelyn. This historical allusion is perhaps most clearly reflected in our production of The Shape of Things by set design choices, mostly credited to Maura Jayne DeBattista, our chief set designer. Set pieces are constantly shifting, and Evelyn is continuously redecorating the space, in an effort to evoke fantasy and to represent Adam’s dynamic and ever-evolving desire to change, to improve, and most of all, to please. Audience members are also encouraged to look out for the set piece that directly echoes the story of Eve and the forbidden fruit, and will notice that it, like most of the set, evolves constantly.

The script of The Shape of Things, peppered heavily with cultural references, and numerous Oscar Wilde quotations, serves to create a fantasy world of its own. Characters often use cultural references to express their own feelings, and to convey their individual personalities. Evelyn fondly refers to Adam as “grasshopper”, an allusion to the 80’s television masterpiece “Kung Fu”, while Adam himself liberally quotes literary greats like Dickens and Kafka. While these are not exactly pumpkins magically turning into carriages, they function to enhance the world of fantasy, while also showcasing the unique type of relationship between the characters and possibly suggesting an inability to connect in a realistic way.

We have also worked to ensure that Labute’s references, and perhaps sources of inspiration -which come in the form of both the Cinderella and the Pygmalion story- are fully honored by our production. Just as Cinderella goes from dusty hearth-tender to belle of the ball, so too does the character of Adam transform from helpless nerd to desirable heartthrob possessing “questionable” morals and unusual behavior. In order to reach this point he places himself in the hands of another, to the point where he would be likely to utter something reminiscent of Eliza Doolittle’s plea for the return of her independence. His transformation is aided, and even catalyzed, by his new girlfriend Evelyn, who, in this context, seems to occupy the role of both fairy godmother and a contemporary Henry Higgins. She shapes Adam in much the same way that Professor Higgins attempts to mold Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion, and, in doing so, creates what is close to a world of fantasy not unlike the realm of Cinderella.

While fantasy is a priority, our set choices serve to ground the show in reality, with most staging, as well as costuming, intentionally remaining minimalist and natural-looking. This naturalism is meant to contrast with the world of fantasy created by the ever-changing set, and therefore to blur the audience’s line of distinction between these two worlds. This, perhaps, harkens back to Labute’s seeming attempts to blur the line between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in his efforts to confront us with our infatuation, our obsession, with, as Evelyn would say, “the surface of things, the shape of them.” While the dialogue of The Shape of Things may leave the audience wondering where that dang strawberry handkerchief got off to, or who the heck Gregor Samsa is, our production hopes the audience will leave the theatre questioning whether the age old adage that ‘art imitates life’ is in fact true or if perhaps in the grander scheme of things, art is life.

Catch the Show Nov.4-Nov.7 at 8pm in the First Floor Theater.

check out photos from Power!Identity!Resistance!

The Borges Project:

Sez She:

The Stronger:

Lithuania:

workshops: a borges project

Read more about the process of developing a piece that weave together the stories of Jorge Luis Borges. This time through the eyes of one of the actors, Gabe Kalal:

The Borges Project is finally coming together! After weeks of brainstorming and practice, we finally have a solid blueprint for the piece. The process has been very collaborative, with each of us volunteering alternate interpretations and adding our own touches in the group improvisations. From a personal standpoint, I’m really honored to be part of the project. I would never have dreamed of trying such a non-conventional dramatic process, but I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity to give it a try. We are all really thrilled to put our work on stage.

Come experience The Borges Project as one of the four workshops, in an event entitled Power!Identity!Resistance!, starting today. The show is at 8pm in the FXK Theater on the 3rd Floor of the Reynold’s Club. It runs through Saturday, Oct. 31.

 

come see the workshops!

University Theater proudly announces the opening of POWER! IDENTITY! RESISTANCE!, a harrowing week of workshop productions, featuring LITHUANIA by Rupert Brooke; THE STRONGER by August Strindberg; A BORGES PROJECT by Ofer Ravid, and SEZ SHE by Jane Martin. Each piece showcases a different format, but all engage the problem of shifting identities. On Halloween weekend, UT will delve into the ramifications of cloaked characters and ghoulish personas.

The show opens with A BORGES PROJECT, directed by Ofer Ravid of the University of Toronto. The piece weaves disparate stories together – in this case, the literal stories of enigmatic Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. Seven actors have collaborated with Ravid to create a unique interpretation of these texts, improvising and developing dramatic scenes from Borges’ philosophies. The process doesn’t just inform the performance – it creates the performance.

Then, Beth Walker’s (BA ’11) presentation of SEZ SHE, featuring the monologues of 6 women who each discover that a sudden change in their lives forces them to reconsider their sense of self.

 

Megan Geigner, the UT Production Manager, takes a similarly challenging approach to a given text. THE STRONGER juxtaposes monologue with silence, examining the relationship between two competing actors. Geigner has enhanced the competition by directing her production in repertory: the two performers will rotate roles each night.

The evening closes with another treatise on silence, LITHUANIA, directed by Evan Garrett (BA ’12) on the anniversary of its opening night 95 years ago. This historical revival pits a poor family of Lithuanians against a nighttime visitor with a hidden agenda. As the tension and the terror build, Garrett explores the frightening weight of
the unspoken.

Join UT from October 28-31st at 8 PM in the Third Floor Theater of the Reynolds Club for a dynamic, haunting week of drama that questions as it camouflages and tricks as it treats.

workshops: the stronger

Read about the experiences of Alli Urbanik and Elle Riley-Condit working on August Strindberg’s The Stronger, Directed by Megan Geigner:

One of the most challenging and exciting things about switching roles in a 2-woman play is the discovery of multiple characters. Normally, you sit down with your director and other cast mates to has out who your character is, and then slowly discover more about them during the rehearsal process. While this is also true of a production where the roles are switched, everything seems to happen in fast forward motion.

You and your partner are constantly pushing yourself to discover new and different aspects of your characters in several ways. First, in running the show, we find new and different things each time because we are attempting to play off of each other’s portrayal without simply copycatting it. Second, in conversation about our characters, we unearth multiple background to the characters that deeper our understanding and increase the complexity of the relationship between the people onstage.

While this work is very challenging, it is also very rewarding. When we act, we are reacting to stimulus from our scene partners. Because we are portraying both characters it is sometimes easy to get stuck wanting to play something to justify our performance in the opposing role. For example, in one moment, Frau X attempts to frighten Mlle Y. In my performance as Mlle Y, this moment is actually scary, and I expected Elle to react in the same way. Instead, she felt annoyed by my attempt to frighten her. At first, I was frustrated by this and had a lot of trouble with the moment because I knew what the moment was for me as Mlle Y. Once I accepted that the moment was going to be different and forced myself to work through it, I discovered a new power relationship between the two women that in turn influenced my performance of Mlle Y in other parts of the play.

Perhaps one of the best things about working in this way is that rehearsals never become monotonous or repetitive. There is always something new to play with, something different to notice. It keeps us on our toes and forces us to continue discovering even as the show begins its run.

You can catch the show next week, Oct. 28-31.

Workshops: The Borges Project

Director Ofer Ravid shares his thoughts about the process of adapting the short stories of J.L Borges for the Stage:

We are now in the middle of the second week of this creation process, just before our seventh rehearsal.

Devising is always a challenge. Devising Borges is even more so because his texts are enigmatic and mostly provide philosophical ideas rather than narrative with dramatic action. My intent was to explore with the actors the worlds Borges imagines. In the play, we connect various elements from these worlds (characters, scenes, images, ideas, gestures) into a single staged world. All we have at the beginning of the process is each other and five short stories. Everyone in the group must be willing to jump into the work, without a para-shoot, trusting in the others and in the process. We started with exercises designed to create mutual trust and openness within the group. These exercises and improvisations also help us to develop a physical vocabulary with which we create the imagery and the elements of the story — the building blocks of the play. After accumulating our building materials it is time to put things together and to take some structural decisions, based on what we discovered about the play so far. The play is written in this way, in space and through the actors’ responses to the stories and to each other.

Catch his piece as one of the four Workshops going up Oct. 29

The Shape Of Things

University Theater (UT), the student-run theater company and collaborator with the University of Chicago Theater and Performance Studies school (TAPS) proudly announces the opening of the first full-length UT production of the 2009/2010 school year, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, written by Neil LaBute and directed by Toby Tieger (BA ’10).

SHAPE examines the drastic consequences of some serious attitude adjustment – or is it mind manipulation? Individuality and morality wrestle for dominance in this tale of four college students whose relationships twist and pucker through one man’s attempt at self-improvement. LaBute’s drama challenges the boundaries between autonomy and conformity, between truth and desire. Playing the role of Adam, (Blake Obuchowski, BA ’10) must discover how far he will go to please his new girlfriend, Evelyn (Kim Siegel, BA ’13), who threatens to overturn his entire world.

But Tieger’s production of SHAPE extends beyond the question of relationship power dynamics. He is concerned as much with the “subtle changes of life” as with its broad brushstrokes. This subtlety is reflected in the fluid set design of Jayne DeBattista (BA ’11), whose rotating, easily manipulated cubes mirror Adam’s journey, never cushioning the consequences of each tiny shift. Each of these shifts will resonate as much with audiences as with the characters, “four people who are just trying to connect with each other”, but whose changes keep pushing them farther apart. The quest for identity and the sting of emotional betrayal sculpt a complex and shocking masterpiece in THE SHAPE OF THINGS this fall. Don’t miss out on the unveiling.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS
First Floor Theater, Reynolds Club
5706 S. University Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
November 4th-7th, 2009
8:00 pm, Tickets are $6

For More Information, photos, or to reserve tickets, email:
William Bishop, Publicity Manager, william.f.bishop@gmail.com
ut.uchicago.edu